Automobile.



u. 696,660. Patented Agir. l, |9012. w. E. TnuFANT.

AUTOMOBILE.

:Application filed July 5, 1901.z (lo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Uma-a5; 250V/67%?.

W. E. TRUFANT.

Patented Apr. I, |902.

AUTOMOBILE.

(Application filed July 5, 1901.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

WALTER E.. TRUFANT, OF VIIITllIAN, MASSACHUSETTS.

AuTornoeiLlE.

srncrrrcnzrion forming part of Letters Patent no. 696,660, atea april 1,1902. Application led July 5, 1901. Serial No. 67,096. (No muriel.)

To @Z whom tm/(ty concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER E. TRUFANT,

, a citizen of the United States, residing at Whitman, county ofPlymouth, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inAutomobiles, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.`

My invention is an improvement in motors, being particularly intendedfor application to automobiles, and relating more especially tosteam-motors operated by gasolene-fuel and the like. In this class ofmotors'it is necessary to, keep the fuelsupply under pressure, thispressure having heretofore been provided by pumping air into thegasolenetanks or by pumping the gasolene in connection with compressedair. Many disadvantages are recognized as attendant upon the use of airdepending in part upon the mixing tendency which air and 4gasolene haveor the tendency of gasolene to absorb air, the difficulty of pumpingair, its liabilityto leak, the difliculty in handling gasolene withoutleakage, the diiiiculty of discovering and preventing the leakages ofthe air and gasolene, the danger of the resulting gas formed by the airand gasolene, besides various other prac tical difficulties in thehandling and operation of the various forms of gasolene-motors atpresent in use in autovehicles. Accordingly my present invention aims toobviate` all the above disadvantages and accomplishes this result bydoing away, in the first place, with air, air-pumping in contact withthe gasolene, and with substituting therefor a pressure medium tocontact with the gasolene which does not unite with the gasolene, is notso liable to leak, and if it does leak is readily visible, introduces noelement of danger, is readily pumped, piped, and handled, and by doingaway, in the second place, with the presence of gasolene or the gastherefrom in the pipes on the pressure side of the gasolene-tanks,besides reducing the size and simplifying the construction of theapparatus, rendering it almost altogether automatic and largelydanger-proof.

The constructional details of my invention and further advantagesthereof will be more fully pointed out in the following description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shownone preferred embodiment of my invention, and the latter will be moreparticularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a motor constructedaccording to my invention and indicated in position in a usualautomobile. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 areenlarged vertical sectional views of details to be referred to.

For convenience of illustration I have herein omitted the constructionaldetails of the vehicle-body,running and operating gear, and connectedparts, and will confine the present description to those features of theapparatus which embody my invention.

As herein indicated, my invention is embodied in a form of apparatushaving two tanks A B, adapted at times to hold gasolene and supply thesame to a boiler C, behind which is a water-tank D for supplying waterto the boiler and to the tanks A B.

The pressure-transmitting medium which I employ instead of air is water,pumping the same directly into the gasolene, which because of its higherspeciiic gravity'remains on top of the water and may readily be heldunder such pressure as is required forI the proper operation of themotor. The water is conducted from the tank through astrainer E by apipe e, which, as herein shown, is tapped at e for supplying water to ausual engine-pump f. The water from the pipe e is conducted past a Valvee2 through an intake-pipe e3 to an automatic pressure-pump g. From theopposite side of the pump g a pipe h leads to a pipe z', the pipe fr)having intei-posed at any convenient place in its length an air dome orchamber m, and preferably beyond the same there is a pressure-regulatingvalve fn, connected by a 'blow-off pipe o back to the pipe e. Althoughin this embodiment of my invention I have shown the regu later on thepressure side of the pump, yet it will be obvious that if it were placedon the supply side it would operate to reduce the pressure by chokingthe supply instead of acting as a blow-oif or safety valve. At its otherend the pipe z is connected by a pipe 7c to the tanks A B, respectively,being provided with valves 7a 7.32, controlling the con- ICO ,k' k2,already'described.

ynection with these tanks respectively, and

also for a purpose to be described having a valve '1l' interposedbetween the pipe lc and the pump g.

l(urasolene is delivered from the supplytanks 'to the boiler-burners bya pipe p, containing a usual diaphragm-regulator p', connected to thetanks by pipe r, containing valves 1" r2. The tanks are also providedwith suitable filling-apertures and caps s, airinlet valves t, anddrainage-Valves u. On the inlet side of the pump g and preferably fromthe pipe e3 an intake-pipe t' connects by a pipe o' to the tanks A B,suitable valves u2 v3 being interposed similarly as the Valves Forgetting the initial pressure before the engine is started I provide ahand-pump w, preferably connected to the pipe h. v

Let it be supposed that the vehicle is in readiness for a long trip,both of the tanks AB being illed 'with gasolene. The operator, havingfirst opened the valves e2, i', It',

and r and closed the valves k2 and r2 then by means of the hand-pump wraises the Water-pressure on the gasolene in the tank A to the pointdesired, and the engine having been properly started thereby the pump gthereafter automatically maintains the exact pressure requred. This isaccomplished as follows: The pump g pumps water from the tank E to thetank A, said-Water being maintained under a uniform pressure by means ofthe air in the air-dome m, which is more or less compressed in said domeby the pressureof the water in the pipe t', the contained air serving totransmit its elasticity through the water as a conducting medium to thegasolene in' the tank A, without, however,-

anypossi'bilityof contact or mixture with the gasolene, and saidpressure is maintained within safety limits at any'maxmum point desiredby the pressure-regulator valve ln, which may be of any usual typerequired, a

slightly-modified form of a usual pressure valve or regulator beingherein indicated in detail in Fig. 4.' This valve serves normally toclose connection between the pipe t' and the pipe o; but upon passingther maximumpressure point said valve opens communication between saidpipes, thereby at once relieving the pressure and permitting Water fromthe pressure-pipe 1I to pass back to the water-tank, or, as hereinshown, back to the pipe e and thence to said Water-tank. By thisconstruction the water can never be pumped beyond safety limits; butwhenever the maximum pressure is reached it is automatically dischargedback into the tank again,

so that it' the pump g should continue workcapable of forming anexplosive gas.

operated and are not so diicult to keep in repair and to manage as airor gasolene pumps. Water is not so liable to leak as air or gasolene,and if it does leak it is very readily detected.

My apparatus contains only the small amount of air under pressure whichis in the air dome or .chamber m, and this air is confined to thatplace, althongh'the benefit of its elasticityand pressure-transmittingpower is directly availed of at the tank through the water in thewater-pipes t' k.

One of the most frequent kinds of accidents-viz., air-tank accidents-isthus made impossible, said accidents usually arising from thecombination of the gasolene and air Also by using water as apressure-transmitting medium the pressure is maintained whilethe vehicleis standing still, whereas in the old airpressure construction the airwould be gradually absorbed by the gasolene, with the result that aftera long stand the pressure would be found to be practicallyall exhausted.Also in the use of aira breakin the gasolenepipe would occasion dangerand a loss of the entire supply of gasolene, because in a system whereinairis used to obtain the requisite pressure on the gasolene the air-tankis usually of such a volumeas to contain a suicient quantity of air sothat When-expanded the air will fill the gasolene-tank, and hence when abreak occurred in the gasolene-pipe the compressedl air would graduallyforce the said gasolene out from the break. Where water is used`forobtaining pressure, however, the quantity of air under compression inthe air-dome is comparatively small, and consequently, even though aleakshould occur in the gasolene-pipe, but a comparatively smallquantity of gasolene would be Wasted before thecompressed air in thedome had expanded to atmospheric pressure. As the gasolene is consumedat the boiler the water rises in the tank A until fnally,the gasolenehaving all been driven out from said tank, the latter contains nothingbut water. Thereupon the valve r is closed, the valve r2 is opened forfeeding gasolene, the valve 7a2 is opened, and the valve k is closed.The valve e2 is now closed and the valve 'r2 opened, so thatthereafter'the operation of the pump g serves to withdraw waterjrom thetank A, whose airinlett is open to permit said withdrawal, said waterbeing pumped through the pipes the same as before and delivered into thetank B, the operation being the same as that already described,excepting that in case of over-pressure the Water is not discharged backinto the pipe e to the- IOO IIO

construction a minimum space for Water is required, as the only extraWater necessary is enough to ll one of the tanks A, the extra amount ofwater being carried at the start in the tank D with the water for theboiler, and when withdrawn from said main tank into the tank Ait is thenpumped from that tank eee,eeo

into the tank B until both of the gasolene- 'when one of the tanks A Bmay be provided with a non-freezing liquid and the other tank used forgasolene, said liquid ybeing pumped into the gasolene inthe same manneras has been described for water.

My apparatus is also readily convertible to various other applicationssimply by closing certain of the valves and opening others.

It will be understood that in practice the pipes are more compactlyarranged, being herein shown separated and placed in diferent verticalYplanes"for clearness of illustration and description.

I have endeavored to reduce all the parts to extreme simplicity. Forexample, the

strainer comprises simply a shell c5, cap e6,

and wire screen es, which is slipped inside the shell and maintained inplace frictionally or by the cap e6. When it is to be emptied, it issimply taken out,emptied of'its sediment,

and shoved back in place without-requiring.-

special care or manipulation.

The pressure-regulator n comprises a chamber n', containing a diaphragmn2, normally held down by a spring n3, all these parts being of usualconstruction, excepting that the diaphragm carries a valve n, operatingto open the water-passage upon upward movement of the diaphragm.

The engine and general features in connection therewith may be of anyusual kind, and

accordingly I have largely omitted the same,-

having merely indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l a gear m and its crankconnected at .r2 to a walking beam or lever w3, which operates the p nmpg, and in Fig. 2 I have indicated adouble engine at X X.

I wish it understood that Iam not limited otherwise than as expressed inthe claims and that very many changes and substitutions inconstructional details and arrangement of parts may be had within thespirit and scope of my invention, and while I have mentioned gasolene Iwish it understood that by that term I mean to include any of the liquidfuels which are used or might conveniently be used for the purpose.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an apparatus of the kind described, a source of gasolene-supplyfor heating aboiler, a source of water-supply, a pipe connecting thetwo, means for forcing said water to said gasolene under. pressure, anair-dome connected to said water-pipe onthe pressure side of saidpressure means, and a pressure-regulator for preventing the pressureexceeding a given maximum.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, al

gasolene-tank, a pipe adapted to connect said tank to a boiler, a'water-tank, a pipe cona pressure-pump for forcing the water underpressure 4to said gasolene-tank, Vapressureregulator connected with-saidwater-pipe on the pressure side of said pump, and a-` blowed connectionfrom said pressure-regulator to the intake side of said pump.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, a water-tank, a plurality ofgasolene-tanks for supplying gasolene for heating a boiler, pipeconnections between said several tanks, means for forcing water underpressure to one of said gasolene-tanks either from said watertank, orfrom the other gasolene-tank as may bev desired.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, a water-tank, a plurality ofgasolene-tanks for supplying gasolene for heating a boiler, pipeconnections between said several tanks, and means for forcing waterunder pressure to either of said gasolene-tanks from said watertank, erto one of said gasolene-tanks from the other as desired.

5. In an apparatus of the kind described, a water-tank, a plurality ofgasolene-tanks for supplying gasolene for heating a boiler, pipeconnections between said several tanks, means for forcing water to oneof said gasolene-tanks from said water-tank, means for cutting off saidwater-supplyand thereafter withdrawing the water previously forced 'tosaid gasolene-tank and forcing the same under pressure to anothergasolene-tank.

6. In an apparatus of thekind described, a water-tank, a plurality ofgasolene-tanksfor supplying gasolene for heating aboiler, pipeconnections between said several tanks, a pump for forcing water to oneof said gasolene-tanks fromsaid water-tank, means for cut-ting oif saidwater-supply and thereafter withdrawingthe water previously forced tosaid gasolene-tank and forcing-the same under pressure to anothergasolene-tank, and a pressure-regulator having a blow-off connection fordischarging into either source of water-supply as the case may be.

7. In an apparatus of the kind described, a plurality of tanks adaptedto contain either gasolene for heating a boiler or water forcommunicating pressure to the gasolene, water-pipes connecting saidtanks, and a pump for drawing water from one tank land delivering itunder pressure to the other tank.

8. In an apparatus of the'kind described, a

plurality of tanks, adapted to contain either gasolene for heating aboiler. or water for cpinmunicating pressure to the gasolene,water-pipes connecting said tanks, and a pump for drawing water fromeither of said tanks and delivering it under pressure to the other tank.

9. In an apparatus of the kind described, a plurality of tanks, one forcontaining pressure-transmitting fluid and the other for con` ing-pipesbetween said tanks, said two sets of pipes being connected together andhavllOO IIO

ing a pressure-pump interposed therein for name to this specification inthe presence of transmitting pressure through said pipes, twosubscribing Witnesses.

and Valves on each side of said two c'onnecn tions for governing thecommunication of said WALTER E l RUFANT 5 pressure-pump with one oranother of said Witnesses:

tanks. GEO. H. MAXWELL, l

In testimony whereof I have signed my ADOLPH C. KAISER;

